[PLUG] Hardware Problem -- Kernel panic and reset

[drew wymore]

On Sat, Feb 20, 2010 at 10:51 PM, Tim Wescott <tim at wescottdesign.com> wrote:
> This is _not_ really a Linux issue, because we're seeing basically the
> same behavior under both Linux and Windows.
>
> The computer is a built-box, with an Azus P5NSLI motherboard, somewhere
> between one to three years old.  Any time it gets left on too long it
> resets.  Working on it tonight, I noticed that if you're in Linux when
> this happens you get the two blinking keyboard lights which (I think, at
> least) indicates a kernel panic; they stay on for about ten seconds
> before the thing reboots.
>
> It seems to be a heat problem -- the problem takes a long time to happen
> from a cold start, but will happen often when you're using the box hard,
> shut down for a bit and it'll take a bit longer to happen the first
> time, etc.
>
> What I _don't_ know, since I purposely stopped being current with PC
> maintenance about ten years ago, is (a) if there's anything I can do to
> verify this other than by swapping parts (the fans do all run -- I know
> that), (b) if this could be anything other than the motherboard or
> memory (i.e. is there any chance this is the power supply?), and (c)
> what I might do to isolate the problem without having to run out and buy
> a bunch of parts.
>
> Clearly if I want to start swapping parts I can just go by a nifty new
> motherboard, which will force me to buy a nifty new processor and nifty
> new memory -- I want to avoid that if I can, particularly if that'll
> just lead me to finding out that the power supply is intermittent.
>
> --
> Tim Wescott
> Wescott Design Services
> Voice: 503-631-7815
> Cell:  503-349-8432
> http://www.wescottdesign.com
>
>
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>


Boot and run memtest and alternatively grab a bench marking tool for
either OS that will thrash the heck out of the CPU/Fans etc and see if
you can get it to barf. Should help narrow it down.

Drew-